It is the mission of SRWN to assemble a statewide coalition of individuals and organizations dedicated to preserve the environment while maintaining the health and economic vitality of rural communities.

This loose knit coalition of citizen, farm, environmental, and health organizations works statewide on issues of monitoring around CAFOs and addressing concerns of rural communities. There are presently 202 CAFOs in Wisconsin. (55 Jennie-O Turkey CAFOs have one permit!). Many more are in process in our state as our state policy includes promoting CAFOs as a way to grow agriculture in the state. SRWN maintains that family farms of a size that the land can sustain are what we need in our state.

SRWN addresses the Livestock Siting Law Issues, including the need for local control to protect the interests of local citizens by assuring that no CAFOs which would adversely impact the environment, health and economic viability of citizens are located in the county; and that regulations of state and federal environmental laws fro these facilities are enforced by appropriate agencies.

SRWN created a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) proposal with the DNR in response to the DNR MOU with the Dairy Business Association (DBA), a CAFO promotional organization. The MOU is meant to ensure that CAFOs are held accountable to the law and do not violate the rights of Wisconsin citizens. The MOU also reaffirms the DNR's mission and role as protector of Wisconsin's natural resources, serving the Citizens of Wisconsin, not the corporate livestock facilities it regulates or their lobby organization, the Dairy Business Association.